Electric switch



G. B. REISBACH Nov. 13, 1928.

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed NOV- 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V ENTOR.

ATTORNEY B 9M KW Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,252 G. B. REISBACH ELECTRIC SWITCHFiled Nov- 9, 1925 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

v m/tan BJMMMW BY I ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT. O

1 1,691,252 FF ICE.

GUSTAVE B. REISBACH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN OR TO THECUTLER-HAM MER MFG. 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed November 9, 1925. Serial No 67,752.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches, and moreparticularly to manually operable switches for battery chargingequipment. An object of the invention is to provlde a strong andreliable switch adapted to commutate the various circuits employed inbattery charging operations. v I

Another object is to provide a switch which is biased to a giveninoperative position and movable to given operative positionsv at will.

Another object is to provide means for automatically maintaining theswitch in a given operative position, but sub ect to release underpredetermined electrical condit ons.

Another object is to provide a switch enabling establishment of lineconnections for the battery without requiring completlon of certain ofthe auxiliary circuits. l0 Another object is to provide a switchoperable to sequentially provide voltmeter connections, line connectionsand joint ammeter and voltmeter connections.

Another object is to provide a switch hav- 2:: ing anelectromagnetically operable latch adapted to hold the same in positionto provide line connections for the battery, but subject to release bysaid latch upon failure of linevoltage. I

Other objects and advantages of the inven- "tion will hereinafterappear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment. of the inventionwhich will now be described, it being understood that the deviceillustrated is susceptible of various changes without departing fromthespIrit and scope of my invention as defined 1n the appended claims."

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a switchconstructed inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the switch shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are schematic and dia rammatic viewsillustrating'various circuit commutations effected by the switch indifferent,

operative positions thereof.

' Referring to the drawing, and more par-. ticularly to Figs. 1, 2' and3, the numeral 10 designates a lever having separated portions 11 and 12which are adapted to be clamped together around a squared shaft 13 bymeans of suitable screws Or bolts 14 and 15, but in sulated from saidshaft by means of laminated 13 is provided Withcylindrical end portions17 and 18 to be'supported in suitable bearing brackets 19 and 20, thelatter being bolted, as shown, or otherwise secured to --an insulatingbase or panel 21. Lever 10 is provided with a suitable knob or handle 10of wood or other insulating material.

A contact element 22 is secured to lever 10 at one side thereof by meansof a screw 23, and a contact element 24 is secured to the opposite sideof said lever by means of a screw 25. Also secured to but insulated fromthe lever 10 are a pair of spaced conductive members or projections 26and 27, which are individually adapted in certain angular positions ofsaid lever to bridge the auxiliary contact fingers 2.8 and 29,-thelatter being best shown in Fig. 3. movement of contact fingers 28 and 29is limited by the respective upper ends of suitable supporting andterminal members 28 and 29 Resiliently mounted in a well known man nerupon a suitable supporting bracket 30 1s a contact finger 31, the latterhaving a contact portion 32 located in the path of movement of contactelement 22 and a flexible lead wire 33 for connecting the same incircuit. A screw 34 provides for adjustment of the normal angularposition of the contact finger 31. As shown, the bracket 30 is securedto base 21 by means of the screw 35. Mounted upon brackets 36 and 37adjacent to the contact element 22 and contact 32 is a magnetic blow-outdevice of usual construction, said device comprising a coil 38 havingone end- 39 thereof connected with the flexible lead 33, as indicated at40, whereas the other end 41 of said coil is connected to a circuitterminal 42. The pole pieces 43 and 4A are provided with suitablespacing elements 45, 46 and 47, are shields 48 and 49 of insulatingmaterial being located upon the adjacent faces of said pole pieces. r r

A flexible conductor 50 is mechanically and electrically connected tothe body portion of the lever 10 by means of the nut 51, the other endof said conductor being provided with a suitable terminal connection'52,a low current release coil 53 being connected. in series with in anysuitable manner (not said conductor 50 shown): Said coil is provided'with pole pieces 54 and 55, the latter having an arma- Inward insulatingmaterial as indicated at 16. Shaft position of lever 10.

Fig. 5 a voltmeter circuit is provided for the section 12 of lever 10.Said lever is thus held in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3of I the drawing, against the action of a coil spring 61;-one end ofsaid spring being secured to an intermediate cylindrical portion 62 ofshaft 13 as indicated at 63 (Fi'g. 1), whereas the other end of saidspring-is secured to a projection or pin 64 on bracket 19. Spring 61 ispreferably enclosed within a cupshaped member 65, said member having aslot in the periphery thereof to permit winding and unwinding movementof the spring.

Switch lever 10 is thus biased to the off position indicated in dottedlines at the right hand side of Fig. 1, reverse movement beyond thisposition being preventedby engagement of a lug or projection 66 onportion 12 thereof with a resilient or elastic block 67 suitably carriedby a bracket 68 secured to base 21.

The contact finger 69 at the right-hand side of Fig. 1 is provided witha contact portion 70 which is adapted to provide ammeter connectionswhen lever 10 is moved to the extreme left-hand position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1,auxiliary contact fingers 28 and 29 being also bridgedby member 27 in this position of the lever whereby ammeter and voltmeterconnections are jointly effected. Contact finger 69 is in allsubstantial respects like contact finger 31, and hence furtherdescription thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the same illustrates diagrammatically themanner of effecting line connections for the battery withthe lever 10 inthe position illustrated in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In thisposition of the lever contact element 22 is in engagement with contactfinger 31, thus completin the charging circuit, which may be trace L byconductor 71 through the electromagnetic blow-out coil 38, by conductor72 through contact finger 31 to contact element 22, thence through thebody of lever 10, by conductor 73 through coil 53 .of theelectromagnetic latchingdevice, and through the battery B to line L Coil53 being energized armature 56is attracted, thereby effecting engagementof the notched portion 59 thereof with the pin '60 of lever 10 tomaintain the latter in such operative position pending failure of linevoltage or reduction in current, or further movement of said lcverbyhand. As will be apparent from Figs. 1 to 4, auxiliary contact fingers28 and 29 and contact finger 69 are out of engagement with theircooperating contacts in this With lever 10 in the position illustratedin from linebattery, which circuit may be traced from one side of thebattery B, by conductor 74 through auxiliary contact finger 28, throughbridging contact member 26 to the other auxiliary contact finger 29, byconductor 7 5 through voltmeter V, and thence by conductor 7 6 to theother side of the battery. No other circuit is completed in thisposition of lever 10.

Upon movement of lever 10 to the position illustrated, in Fig. 6voltmeter and ammeter circuits are simultaneously provided,the voltmetercircuit extending from one side of battery B, by conductor 74 throughauxiliary contact finger 28, through bridging contact member 27 to theother auxiliary contact finge 29, by conductor 75 through voltmeter V,and thence by conductor 76 to the other side of the battery; whereas theammeter circuit may be traced from line L by conductor 77 throughammeter A, by conductor 78 through contact finger 69 and contact element24 through lever 10, and thence by conductor 79 and coil 53 throughbattery B to line L It will be apparent from the foregoing that uponmovement of lever 10 from the off position the same functions to firstcompletethe voltmeter connections and to thereafter provide lineconnections for charging the battery, said line connections beingautomaitcally maintained in the manner aforedescribed; whereas ifdesired said lever may be moved manually to another operative positionto jointly provide ammeter and voltmeter connections for the battery. v

If desired the switch elements, exclusive of the handle 10? may beenclosed within a suitable casing and the latter will preferably beprovided with suitable legends indicating the various operativepositions of the switch.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In battery charging equipment, the combination with a battery andvariable circuit connections therefor, of a rotatable contact memberbiased to one extreme position to interrupt said connections and movableto an opposite 'extreme position to commutate the same, and means forautomatically hold ng said member in an intermediate position whereinthe charging circuit of said battery wherein the charging circuit ofsaid battery is completed, said means comprising a coil to be energizedin such position of said member ,to provide for operation of anelectro-magnetically operated latching device.

3. In battery charging equipment, the combination with a battery andvoltmeter, ammeter and charging circuits therefor, of a rotatablecontact member, means for biasing said member to one extreme positionfor interrupting all of said circuits, means for moving said member toanother extreme position for jointly completing said voltmeter andammeter circuits, said member being also movable to an intermediateposition for completing said charging circuit, and electromagneticallyoperable latching means for maintaining said member in said lastmentioned position against the action of said biasing means, saidlatching means being adapted to release said member under givenelectrical conditions in the charging circuit.

4. In battery charging equipment, the combination, with a battery andvoltmeter, ammeter and charging circuits therefor, of means forsequentially and individually completing said voltmeter and chargingcircuits and for thereafter simultaneously completing said voltmeter andammeter circuits, said means comprising a plurality of substantiallystationary resilient contact fingers and a retatable member havingcontact elements arranged for sequential engagement therewith, means forbiasing said member to an inoperative position, and electromagneticallyoperable means controlled by certain of said contacts for holding saidmember in certain of its operative positions against the action of saidbiasing means.

5. In a switch for use in battery charging operations, the combinationwith a, battery and voltmeter, ammeter and charging circuits therefor,of a pluralitv of resiliently mounted contact fingers, a rotatablemember having contact elements adapted for engagement with said contactfingers to sequentially provide voltmeter or line connections for thebattery or to jointly provide voltmeter and ammeter connectionstherefor, means for biasing said member to an inoperative position, andan electromagnetic latching device having an operating coil in serieswith the battery for holding said member in position to provide lineconnections, said member being thereafter movable manually in eitherdirection against the action of said latch or said biasing means.

6. In a switch for use in battery charging operations, the combinationwith a battery and voltmeter, ammeter and charging circuits therefor, ofa plurality of resiliently mounted contact fingers, a rotatable memberhaving contact elements adapted for engagementwith said contact fingersto sequentially provide voltmeter or line connections for the battery orto jointly provide voltmeter and ammeter connections therefor, means forbiasing said member to an inoperative position, and an electromagneticlatching device having an operating coil in series with the battery forholding said member in position to provide line connections, said memberbeing thereafter movable manually in either direction against the actionof said latch or said biasing means, and being subject to automaticmovement to inoperative positon upon release of said latch under lowcurrent conditions.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with abattery and voltmeter, ammeter and charging circuits therefor, of meansfor completing said charging circuit individually and for completingsaid voltmeter circuit individually or jointly with said ammetercircuit, said means comprislng a manually operable contact member biasedto off. position and movable to sequentially and individually providevoltmeter and line connections for the battery and thereafter movable toointly provide voltmeter and ammeter connections, andelectromagnetically operable means for holding said member in positionto provide line connections but subject to release upon reduction ofcurrent beow a given minimum value.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GUSTAVE B. REISBACH.

